A civil engineer is required to be skillful and should possess proficiency in

various professional skills. Skill learning is a gradual process where learner

has to pass through three different stages for execution of any skill. Very
few learners are able to reach to the final stage of learning. First stage is
the cognitive stage where learner works out what needs to be done to
perform the skill. Second stage is the associative stage where learner
practices the skill and begins to apply them in practical situations. Final
stage is the autonomous stage where the skill execution becomes
automatic and individuals can focus on the environment in which skills are
occurring. In case of maladaptive learning, psychologist trained in learning
techniques can design A civil engineer should know how to:
Apply basic engineering knowledge and application tools Designing,
estimating and project management softwares, numerical modeling,
physical modeling, stochastic and statistical analysis, design codes and
standards, and project monitoring methods.
Learn new skills and emerging technologies Enhancing innovation
through learning about state-of-the-art and emerging technologies for
improving individual and organization effectiveness and productivity.
Learn communication skills through patient listening, speaking with
passion, confidence and bonding with audience using visuals like slides
and visual bytes. Writing technical posts and newsletters and disseminating
via websites.
Learn collaborating with intra-disciplinary, cross-disciplinary, and multidisciplinary forums with conventional and virtual teams.
Manage people, assignments, tasks, projects and programs to achieve
requisite goals within budget, allotted schedule and other constraints
internal or external.
Lead by example and by formulating and articulating work policy
considering environmental concerns, infrastructural constraints and other
improvements and build consensus among peers by practicing empathy,
inclusiveness, compassion, persuasiveness, patience and analytical
thinking process.

The civil engineer is required to adopt a positive attitude about himself and
society at large. A positive attitude is essential for professional progress
and organizational success. He should be imbued with:
Entrepreneurship and creativity that leads to proactive identification of
emerging technologies and products and taking steps to develop them.
Child like curiosity which is the hallmark for acquisition of new skills and
learning of new frontiers in the discipline, developing innovative
applications, new inventions and endeavors.
Strong commitment to professional ethics, achievement of personal and
organizational goals, and towards formation of capable teams and
competent organizations.
High moral integrity and honesty who does not hesitate to tell bare and
blunt truth and always try to hold his promise.
Positive perspective and optimism in face of all challenges and
bottlenecks, recognizing the power inherent in farsighted and clear vision,
strong commitment, proper planning, continuous persistence, flexibility, and
proper teamwork.
Respect for and tolerance of the rights, values, opinions, assets,
belongings and sensitivities of others.
Perfection and self-discipline in maintaining public health, safety. Ad
welfare implications for most engineering projects and high degree of
collaboration and interdependence within project teams and between
teams and their stockholders.
Civil engineers now feel that they should transform themselves from the
role of designers, project managers and builders to project life-cycle
sustainer or upholder. Society is now conscious that development of
infrastructure should not be at the cost of enervated and depleted
environment and sustainability is now not just a desired objective but an
essential one.
Innovations in technology and market forces are putting additional
pressures on the profession of civil engineers. Designing automation by

engineering softwares, expert systems replacing human decision making in

routine processes reduced his role to that of computer operator or routine
supervisor. Civil engineer stands the risk of getting reduced to the status of
a commodity. Clients and contractors are increasingly using low-bid
procurement system where civil engineers are being appointed just like
filling a formal slot, with less stress on innovative skills, merit, capability,
creativity on generating sustaining solutions and qualifications.
Civil engineers thus find themselves at the threshold of being marginalized
raising concerns about their future. They should be ready to make more
risks, develop innovative and sustaining skills, exhibit more leadership
traits. They should realize that they must control their destiny rather being
determined by events and policy makers.
The world has recognized the reality of shrinking resources, increasing
environmental deterioration and now realized the importance of
conservation of energy, sustainable environmentally-friendly and energysaving solutions. Thus role of civil engineer has become more critical to
devise green solutions as a part of life-cycle and cost-benefit analyses.
New construction techniques using recycled products, green and smartbuilding technologies producing more energy than they consume are in
vogue.
Increasing demographic pressure leading to straining of earths
environment and scarcity of resources like potable water, clean air, energy,
and safe waste disposal. Global warming, rise in sea level, increased storm
activity, changing climate pattern, susceptibility to flooding have put
sustainability at the forefront among major problems faced by the world.